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Education

Ph.D., University of Missouri, Animal Science, 1997

B.S., Cornell University, Animal Science, 1988

Appointment: 25% Research | 75% Teaching

Professional Interest: Physiological Genetics and Genomics

Dr. Kojima’s research is focused on elucidating pathways of gene expression adversely affected by stress of weaning and obesity in the pig. The process of weaning can be detrimental to growth, immune function, and overall well-being of the young pig. Through understanding what happens during weaning at the molecular level to influence appetite and immune function, her laboratory aims to develop new strategies to minimize the negative effects of weaning thereby increasing overall well-being and production efficiency in swine. Obesity-related research is also being conducted using the Sinclair minipig, which is an excellent model for studying human physiological responses to obesity including cardiovascular disease, insulin insensitivity, and inflammation. Currently Dr. Kojima is using the minipig model to discern the effects of Omega-3 fatty acids on adipocyte-mediated inflammation, with particular interest in how various adipose depots differ in their response to Omega-3 supplementation.